No, Side Quests Cannot Be Missed in God of War Ragnarök

The short answer is: No, there are absolutely no missable side quests in God of War Ragnarök. No matter how far you progress in the main story, you can always go back to complete any side content you may have skipped by accessing the post-game free roam.

Let‘s dive deeper into how side quests work in God of War Ragnarök, what rewards they offer, and why they are so worth completing. This guide will help you get the most out of the game‘s glorious Norse realms.

How God of War Ragnarök‘s Side Quests Work

In God of War Ragnarök, side quests are called "Favors" – optional objectives given to Kratos and Atreus by various characters throughout the realms. There are over 35 Favors to complete, ranging from short monster hunts to elaborate multi-part tales.

The key facts on how Favors function:

• They become available as you progress the main story, not all immediately.
• New Favors can appear in old areas as the plot advances.
• There are no time limits or cutoff points that will fail a Favor.
• All Favors remain open after the credits roll for post-game completion.

This means you can focus on the main path first without stressing about missing anything. Come back in post-game to fast travel between realms and wrap up whatever Favors you have outstanding.

Rewarding Resources

Completing Favors rewards you with some extremely valuable resources:

• Hacksilver – The main currency for purchasing upgrades.
• XP – For unlocking new skills and abilities.
• Crafting materials – Used to improve equipment and armor.
• Unique collectibles – Some Favors unlock realm tear encounters or items.

The table below shows the total crafting materials, Hacksilver, and XP available from all the Favors in God of War Ragnarök:

As you can see, completing all the Favors essentially doubles the amount of valuable currencies you can earn in the game.

The XP allows you to fully upgrade Kratos‘ combat skills. While the Hacksilver lets you boost your armor and weapons to maximum level. And the crafting materials include unique resources that can only be obtained through certain Favors.

So the in-game rewards alone make the Favors incredibly worthwhile.

Engaging Content

More than just resource farms, the Favors provide some of God of War Ragnarök‘s most compelling content:

• Mini-storylines – Introduce side characters and new lore.
• Challenge tombs – Test your combat and puzzle skills.
• Boss fights – Face off against more epic foes.
• Stunning locales – Explore the beauty of the realms.
• Secret areas – Discover hidden places not in main quests.

Rather than feeling like generic side activities, each Favor has been meticulously crafted with the superb quality expected from a Santa Monica Studios production.

The Favors provide a chance to spend more time in the gorgeously designed Norse realms outside of the main story beats. And take in even more of the stellar voice acting and environmental storytelling.

Completion Satisfaction

For those hoping to 100% God of War Ragnarök, completing all the Favors contributes substantially to your total completion rating.

Here is how the main content types factor into your overall completion percentage:

As you can see, completing all the Favors makes up a full quarter of achieving 100% completion in God of War Ragnarök.

So while certainly not mandatory, getting every Favor done will deeply satisfy any completionist players.

Post-Game Cleanup

Reaching the emotional climax of God of War Ragnarök opens up free roam mode rather than rolling credits.

This post-game state allows you to revisit every realm and finish any unfinished business:

• All Favors remain open and can be completed.
• Fast travel between realms stays available.
• Valkyries can still be challenged.
• Nothing story-related or collectible gets locked out.

So don‘t worry about rushing to complete all side content before the finale. Take your time to finish the main story at your own pace, then use post-game to relax and wrap up the Favors.

Expert Tips for Completion

Here are my top expert tips for completing all Favors and achieving as close to 100% completion as possible:

• Explore areas thoroughly as you play to minimize backtracking later.
• Prioritize completing Favors as they become available to pace yourself.
• Purchase maps at the shop to reveal points of interest in each realm.
• Have Atreus frequently scan for loot and secrets.
• Toggle collectible icons on your map to track your progress.
• Play on harder difficulties to earn more rewards.
• Leave Valkyrie boss fights for the post-game when you‘re stronger.
• Actively track outstanding Favors in your quest journal.
• Use skippable cutscenes to speed repeated sections in post-game.

Best Favors You Shouldn‘t Miss

While clearly no Favors are "missable", there are several I consider must-plays:

• The Lost Sanctuary – An epic multi-part quest aiding trapped miners.
• The Quest for Tyr – Uncover the mysterious fate of this lost God.
• The Elven Sanctum – Gorgeous, intricate light elf puzzle tomb.
• The Weight of Chains – Emotional tale of freeing a tortured soul.
• In Service of Asgard – Witness the tyranny of the Aesir firsthand.

Make sure to prioritize these Favors when they become available for the best side stories God of War Ragnarök has to offer.

Don‘t Stress, Just Enjoy

Hopefully this guide has made it clear that there is nothing missable in God of War Ragnarök. You can play freely without worrying about hidden deadlines or locked content.

The side quests provide fantastic narrative enrichment and gameplay rewards. But they are by no means necessary to reach the finale and experience the full epic story.

Relax and enjoy your time in the Norse realms at your own pace. And know there are no points of no return that will halt your dreams of total completion across all nine wondrous worlds.

So take your time friend. And may your journey through the outstanding Favors of God of War Ragnarök prove epic!